Scrum-ptious? Sample rugby legend’s brew at festival

A beer brewed by Northampton Saints legend Brian Mujati will be among 60 beers at next weekend’s Towcester Beer Festival.

Mutaji – or Mooj as he was known in his days at Franklin’s Gardens – is as fanatical about brewing and beer as he is about rugby.

He started when he bought a home brew kit while he was living in Northampton and turned his garage into a brew house.

The former South African international, now propping at Racing Metro, has created his own brand and hopes to brew full-time when his playing career ends.

Mujati Brewing’s Salisbury American Pale Ale will be one of the highlights of the festival.

Made with purely American hops, it is a hoppy golden beer with a lingering bitter finish and - like the man himself - weighs in at a powerful 4.5% ABV.

Festival organiser Crispin Slee said: “We’ve got one barrel of each of the others but we’ve ordered two barrels of Brian’s beer as I know it will be extremely popular. It’s just a shame we can’t tempt him back with it.”

Towcester Beer Festival takes place from Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3 at Towcestrians RFC in Greens Norton Road, Towcester.

There will be 60 real ales and 30 real ciders, junior rugby and live music through the weekend. The festival is famous for its Ghurka Curry and this year former Bake Off contestant Davey Chambers will be cooking up a treat from his festival kitchen.

Father-of-one Davey, 38 and from Greens Norton, will be baking fresh biscuits, cakes and brownies on Saturday and serving a delicious lunch on Sunday with a choice of five hour, red wine braised British beef or slow roasted pork belly.

Entry is free except after 5pm on Saturday when it is £5 to get in. This year, the beer festival will celebrate the return of the Phipps NBC brewery to Northamptonshire and the launch of Towcester Mill Brewery in the town with four beers from each. The festival’s main sponsors are Jackie Oliver & Co Estate Agents in Towcester.